Bat Woman
by Krypton X
Summary: Post Dark Knight and Smallville series finale.  When Oliver is killed on a Justice League mission, a hurt Chloe heads to Gotham City.
1. Chapter 1

_Three years after finale of Smallville and after the Dark Knight._

Chloe groaned as she made her way out of a warehouse. Her right arm hung uselessly at her side, her good arm clutching at a bullet wound in her collarbone. She quickly moved her hand up and tapped her earpiece, "This is Watchtower to anyone who can hear me; report!"

Dinah's voice replied, "Canary reporting. Arrow had reported he was approaching the target."

Chloe nodded, "Then we're almost in the clear. Flash, did you make your target?"

A whooshing sound caused her to turn as a red blur rushed at her. She quickly forced her expression neutral and moved her arm from the wound quickly. Bart stopped two feet from her and waved a thick folder, "Got the goods, senorita! Luthor won't be able to convince the Joker to team up."

She smirked, "Well, at least he won't be causing trouble in metropolis." She called, "Watchtower to Arrow; what's your status?" She waited and got no answer. "Arrow, report."

Suddenly, a distant explosion caused them her and Bart to look over. Chloe looked worried, "Watchtower. Emergency role call!"

"Canary online."

"Zatanna online."

"Aquaman online."

"Stargirl online."

"Cyborg online."

"Manhunter online."

Chloe and Bart shared a worried look and Chloe pressed her earpiece again, "Watchtower to Arrow; respond." She swallowed nervously and repeated, "Arrow, respond."

Bart said comfortingly, "He's probably just getting static."

Chloe shook her head, "He always answers." She pulled out her cell and started dialing when her earpiece beeped with an incoming signal. She answered and spoke hopefully, "Arrow, report?"

Her stomach knotted in terror as a maniacal laugh answered, "Arrow isn't able to answer right now."

Chloe forced her voice neutral, "Can I speak with him?"

"Hmmm. Let me think."

Chloe closed her eyes and urged. "Please let me talk to him."

The man giggled insanely, "You'd like to talk to him, wouldn't you? Uh, Watchtower, is it? Tell me, what is the sentence for a person who trepasses on private property?"

Chloe answers, "I believe in Metropolis it's a year or a fine of $10,000."

Chloe pales as the Joker laughs amused, "Well, I guess burning him alive was overkill then, wasn't it?" The line died after a few moments of hysterical laughter. Chloe looks to Bart and says panicked, "Bart, go find Oliver. Please!"

He blurs away and after a minute blurs back. He looks sickened and Chloe whimpers in horror, "No. please no."

Bart says sadly, "Chloe, I don't…I…"

Chloe lunges at him and grabs his jacket forcefully, "Tell me he's alive!"

Bart looks at her guiltily, "I can't tell you if it's not." Chloe sobs uncontrollably and falls to her knees. Bart lets her cry for several minutes until she is merely whimpering." He gently picks her up and blurs away from the area.


	2. Chapter 2

_Oliver walked into a bedroom carrying a tray filled with a plate of hash browns, eggs, and two mango crepes. He lightly walked to the bed and sat down softly. He set the tray down and reached for the covers and gently pulled them down. Chloe sighed peacefully and rolled over to look at her husband lovingly. She said sweetly, "Hey, Queen. Why are you waking your tired wife up so early?"_

_He smiled, "So she can eat the breakfast her caring husband prepared for her."_

_She lifted her head and glanced over hopefully, "Are those crepes?" She narrowed her eyes playfully, "Did you break something in the house again?"_

_He looked jokingly slighted, "Can't a guy make his wife breakfast in bed without having an ulterior motive?"_

_She shot back teasing, "I don't know; can he?"_

_Oliver looked at her sincerely, "This is for the most caring, smart and downright gorgeous woman I am proud to call my wife."_

_Chloe beamed at him and leaned forward, "That's the most charming thing anyone has ever said to me." She leaned forward a bit more and kissed him softly. "I love you, Oliver."_

_He replies, "And I love you, Chloe." Chloe glanced over as a soft beeping distracted her._

Chloe woke up in her hospital bed and glanced over to see her cell phone alarm going off. She yawned and rubbed at her collar bone delicately. She looked down at the bionic replacement that Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Grohl had designed for her when it became apparent that the damage to the muscles and bones in her arm had been too extensive for rehabilitation. She lifted her hand and flexed the artificial limb.

The door opened and Clark and Lois walked in. Lois smiled softly and walked over, "Hey, Chloe." She hugged her cousin gently and comments, "Emil tells us that you'll be able to leave tonight. He and Grohl say the bionics are now sufficiently merged with your nervous system, and after a few more training sessions, you'll be back to normal."

Chloe said coldly, "My husband is dead, Lois. Normal isn't possible anymore."

Lois' smile disappeared and Clark tried to defend her, "Chloe, she didn't mean to imply…"

Chloe closed her eyes and exhaled, "I know. I'm sorry." She looked apologetic, "I shouldn't punish you or him, or me for something none of us could expect." She bites her lip and her eyes tear up, "I had another dream about him."

Clark and Lois give her a sympathetic look and Lois asks her, "I could say a few things, but they tend to be more preachy than helpful. So I will ask you, what can we do to help you through this?"

She chuckles humorlessly, "Well, there are two things that I came up with from the start, but I know that would not be coping with it."

Clark asked sincerely, "What are they?"

She sighed, "One would be to use the Legion ring, but like with Jimmy, I realized that even if we can do something, sometimes it's not always right to do it. And two, well. You go find the Joker and kill him. But killing doesn't bring him back or respect Oliver's memory." She sniffed and wiped a few tears away.

Clark looks at her, "Would it make you feel better to know I considered killing someone?"

Chloe looked up at him surprised and stunned, "You wanted to kill someone? When? Why?"

Clark sighed, "It was when Alicia was killed. Lois found me in the barn with her body. She mentioned where to find her killer." He scoffs, "I went in there and I wasn't going to let him leave. Lois talked me down and I stopped."

Chloe asked curious, "How come I never heard about this?"

He shrugs, "I wasn't exactly at my best then. I tried to hide how I felt after that. But turning your back on your feelings just leads to more pain."

Chloe looks at him jokingly, "Are you saying I should embrace my feeling of anger and vengeance?"

Clark chuckles, "Maybe not embrace. But face them; accept them because they won't go away right away. And ignoring them only makes them grow."

Chloe thinks about that and nods, "I'll keep that in mind." She moves to stand and tells them, "Now, I have to exercise this arm to keep it from jamming."

They nodded and turned to leave. Lois stopped and walked back, "Oh, I almost forgot." She reached in her jacket pocket and pulled out a ring box. "Emil took this off your hand after your surgery. He suggested I give it to you once you woke up."

Chloe felt a numb feeling cover her body as she took the box from Lois. She slowly opened it and stared intently at the simple silver ring that she had found on her hand the night after Lois and Clark's first engagement party.

She glanced up when she realized Lois was still there. She spoke softly, "Thank you. I'll see you in a while."

Lois nods and follows Clark.

3 hours later, Chloe walks into the cafeteria and joins Clark and Lois for lunch. She sits down and Lois tells her, "We got you a chicken salad…"

Chloe blurts out suddenly, "I'm moving once I get out of the hospital."

The two of them look stunned and Lois objected, "What? Chloe, you need to think about this. You have a life in Star City; you have to think about what's best for Eric. He's used to Star City…"

Clark surprised both the two women when he cut in, "Chloe, if you need a change in venue, then I think you should go through with it."

Chloe says truthfully, "Thank you Clark. I know it looks like I'm running, but I have had a month to think about this, and I need to move forward."

Lois was quiet for a few moments before she sighed and accepted it, "Well, if you going to move, it sure helps to have two men with super speed to help you pack." She asked, "Where are planning on going?"

Chloe sighs, "You're not going to like my answer."

They look at her firmly, "Where?"

She answers, "Gotham City."


End file.
